Advertisements are how we gauge what is relevant and of importance in our society. Thus, we cannot underestimate the social implications that sexualized ads may have if they are communicating a message that is detrimental to social progression. U.S. advertisers spent $235.6 billion in 2009 while 80% of the countries in the world have GDPs less than that, and the average American is exposed to over 3000 ads a day (Objectifying). Just from a mathematical standpoint, this means that advertisements are definitely having an effect on opinions of the general public, whether these people realize it or not. The objectification of women in advertising communicates the idea that women are only valuable as a desire to men. They are vulnerable objects to look at and judged on physical appearance rather than human beings with their own values. This objectification can be depicted when women are dehumanized – whether a body part is substituted for an inanimate object, a single body part is isolated and on display, or simply when a woman’s face is deliberately excluded from the ad which gets rid of all individuality. The reason for this portrayal of women as sexual objects is because it appeals to a wide audience and catches their attention, ultimately promising higher product sales. What are the effects of the objectification of women in ad campaigns? This blog aims to highlight three major effects of objectification in ads: self-objectification, disparity between sexes, and violence towards women. Exposure to inescapable sexualized advertisements makes both men and women more tolerant to the idea of sexual objectification and creating a detrimental impact on the female race. Men view women not as a whole person, but as a composite of separate attractive and useful parts. Meanwhile, women begin to self-objectify. They learn to view themselves as subjects of others’ desires; constantly comparing their bodies to impossible standards seen in ad campaigns that sell products using sex. Objectification theory claims that the sexual objectification of women is a major factor in developing health risks such as eating disorders, anxiety about physical appearance and safety, and body shaming. Naturally, the dehumanization in ads creates a disparity between the male and female sex. A massive societal gap forms because women are misrepresented in politics and understood to be vulnerable, while men feel they have all the power and are the dominant sex. Of course, this gender imbalance portrayed in objectifying ads leads to violence against women and the casual perpetration of rape culture. The objectification of women in advertisements is something that urgently needs to be addressed because its growing prevalence is starting to make it seem like a non-issue.